You Improve Your On-the-Job
Performance
Whether you’re a massage therapist, a trial attorney, a trombone player, or
a ball-field groundskeeper, you’ll benefit from the increased energy, concen-
tration, and stamina that you get from regular exercise. Here’s why:You can better cope with shift work.Working the graveyard shift at 7-
Eleven? Swing-shift on patrol? Exercise can help temper the health prob-
lems, including sleep disorders, common to people whose work shifts
toy with the body’s natural rhythms.You master the art of teamwork.When you join a softball team, cycling
club, or walking group, you bond with your teammates and find out what
it takes to play nicely with others. These skills may come in handy at the
next office conference, PTA meeting, or neighborhood-watch meeting.You also have more job opportunities. You can’t be a firefighter, a police officer,
or a lifeguard if you flunk the physical. And if you have your sights set on being
a bouncer, big, strong muscles are pretty much a prerequisite.Finally, you save your company money. Employees who take advantage of
corporate-wellness programs tend to have fewer doctors’ visits and fewer
absences from work. Companies have saved millions by giving their employ-
ees incentives to exercise.Your Family Benefits
When you exercise, you have more options for family togetherness. Sure, you
can all sit in the living room and watch slides of Aunt Marie’s 1974 vacation to
Venice, but a fit family can also shoot hoops on the driveway, go hiking in the
woods, or play softball. When you and your family exercise, you find all sort
of benefits:You have more confidence if you’re a new father. In a study of 87 new
dads, those who exercised expressed more confidence in their new role
than fathers who didn’t work out. Although scientific studies haven’t yet
focused on new mothers, the benefits surely work for mom, too.You set a good example for your kids. Want your kids to grow up
healthy and strong? You can be a great role model by exercising regularly.
This is especially important in an era in which childhood obesity is at an
all-time high.362 Part VIII: The Part of Tens